Surprise: Workers Don't Value Wacky Office Amenities

While office pingpong tables and climbing walls might look cool on Instagram, those amenities do little to motivate workers or enhance productivity, according to research from Kiwi Movers. The company found that 79% of workers say reliable and modern technology is more important than off-the-wall office design and amenities.  

Kiwi Movers also reported that 86% of UK adults who work in an office said “fun features” had no specific value to their working life, 11% said they were nice to have, and only 3% said they were valuable. A whopping 71% said they wanted more space in their office and believed it could be achieved by removing non-essential items.  

Perhaps not surprisingly, younger people were more likely to take advantage of the perks like chill-out areas and recreational equipment.

The Kiwi Movers team were prompted to conduct the study after noting an increase in companies moving non-essential office items into storage.

“We’re in and out of offices around London and the UK every week, so we see a lot of different styles," Kiwi Movers director Regan McMillan said. "There are some genuinely cool offices that are well-designed and thought through, but others appear to be more haphazard and self-conscious.”

Most Bizarre and Pointless Office Features

Study participants were invited to list the unusual features in their current or previous offices that they found offered no value. Among the responses:

• “Hay bales for sitting on instead of chairs”

• “Fake grass in meeting rooms”

• “Deck chairs and sun loungers”

• “An indoor picnic table with a parasol”

• “Motivational quotes on walls”

• “Music themed meeting rooms with song lyrics on the wall”

• “A throne in reception that nobody sat on”

• “Beach huts”